This is an archive of the Treatment Action Campaign's public documents from
December 1998 until October 2008. I created this website because the TAC's
website appears unmaintained and people were concerned that it
was becoming
increasingly hard to find important documents.
The menu items have
been slightly edited and a new stylesheet applied to the site. But none of the
documents have been edited, not even for minor errors. The text appears on this
site as obtained from the Internet Archive.
The period covered by
the archive encompassed the campaign for HIV medicines, the civil disobedience
campaigns, the Competition Commission complaints, the 2008 xenophobic violence
and the PMTCT, Khayelitsha health workers and Matthias Rath court cases.
By Luckyboy Mkhondwane
On 24 August as part of TACs Call To Action demonstrations all over the country, about 400 activists from all over Gauteng and representatives from the Aids Law Project assembled on the grounds of the Union Buildings in Pretoria to deliver our demands to the Presidency.
On arrival at the Union Buildings we were told that we should have made an appointment as there was no one to attend us which in reply, Luyanda Ngonyama, Gauteng Provincial Co-ordinator stated that we will occupy the grounds until someone is sent out to receive our demands as we represent the people. This was received with enthusiasm by everyone taking part in this mass action demonstration as most of us were willing to be even arrested for our action.
About fifteen minutes later someone was sent out to attend us. Before the hand over Johanna Ncala (Treatment Literacy Co-ordinator Gauuteng), Gordon Mthembu (District Co-ordinator Ekurhuleni District) and Prudence Mabele ( PLWA representative at SANAC) all of them PLWAs were given opportunity to address the crowd.
Johanna had a question that most of us feel need to be answered she said why is Manto confusing the people by undermining ARVs and continuously praising garlic, beetroot and African potato while people are dying, does she not have children if she cannot feel the pain and suffering that PLWAs experience? What is the President doing in this matter, why does he not speak about HIV is this the kind of leadership the people have voted for?
Gordon spoke about the lack of political leadership from our President and the Minister of Health, he stated that most of us have been on the forefront of this countries liberation and we know what is constitutional about access to health services and treatment , South Africas health system is in shambles because of lack of leadership from the Presidency.
Our President and his people need Treatment Literacy Training. Concerning the Durban/Westville fiasco he said TAC is not in this because we are defending convicts, but we are defending constitutional rights of our fellow South Africans, they too should have access to the life prolonging ARVs .
In her address Prudence said The South African comprehensive plan for HIV has forgotten ARVs as they were not part of display in Toronto, nutrition does not mean that everybody must have a food garden. We need ARVs and a Nutrition Plan of Action from our government. Prevention does not only end with ABC and it is about time that the government stopped using PLWAs as tokens, our voices need to be heard
Before handing over TACs Call for Action, Luyanda read it out aloud and requested that we have a written reply from the Presidency soon or we will be back without an appointment and even more people.
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